Boxing

Edgar Santana: 'They made a big mistake'

Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson should be fighting one another Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Instead, the two junior welterweight champions have been given seemingly overmatched opponents to showcase their own skills this Saturday on Showtime and build interest in a later bout.

Garcia faces Rod Salka in a non-title bout and Lamont Peterson defends his title against Edgar Santana. The Puerto Rico-born New York resident Santana knows he is already being counted out but insists that the naysayers are wrong about his chances.

Well, I’m happy to be the one. I guess they’ve picked me out of the bunch," he said during a recent media call.

"I feel they committed a big mistake and I’m going to be ready to lay it all on the line that day. I’m going to be there to fight, no doubt about that."

The 35 year-old described fighting for a world title in his adopted home of New York as a "dream of mine," and also says he's putting the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders when he locks up with Peterson Aug. 9. "This is for all Puerto Rico and all the Puerto Ricans," he said.

"I'm going to prove everybody wrong. They made a big mistake in choosing me."